Summer 2008--Day 19, The Malheur Gorge and Wildlife Reserve

[Burns OR--Wednesday, 10 July 2008]--We left Ontario OR later than unusual (8:00 o'clock a.m.). Driving up the Malheur River we admired the rugged canyon walls -- mindful of a miniature Columbia River gorge upstream of Portland OR.

The varied geology, which appeared in many places, puzzled Grumpy who was once a student of Geology. There was the obvious lava layers and one cliff of a jumble of rocks seemingly cemented together by some heat and pressure, but not enough to create amorphous rock. And then there was a distinctive white outcropping that did not support vegetation of any kind. Finally, we came upon an outcropping next to the highway. Grumpy "screeched to a stop" to get some photos. In one place, the white material seemed to be running down the slope -- obviously a very soft material. Grumpy crumbled some between his fingers and tasted it on his tongue. Hmm-m! Tastes just like Poi! Grumpy's "professional" opinion is that it is a very fine, white clay. Kaolin? I don't think so -- still... ? Someone who knows how to fire clay might like to try some of this!

Arriving at Burns OR, our motel for the night, Grumpy and the Grand Mother decided (well Grumpy decided and Grand Mother spoiled him by agreeing to it!) to go on the 42-mile loop tour of the Malheur Wildlife Reserve. We saw very few birds and no other animals. The most birds we saw were vultures and a few ducks. However, after we left the reserve, we spotted a curlew flying fast at an altitude of about 50-75 feet. Since it was flying an intercept course to ours, we got a fairly good closeup look at its distinctive long, curved beak and sleek body and wings. Regrettably, no photo though.

The buildings at the reserve headquarters were interesting: native sandstone walls and multi-colored clay tile roofs. The museum had hundreds of taxidermied birds, samples of their eggs and some archaeological specimens from the American Indians that lived in the area in prehistoric times. A duck toy (or maybe a decoy?!), handmade using tulle reeds and other natural-colored materials was pictured; it was about 2000 years old!

The most disgusting thing that we found after coming back to our motel in Burns was this "Dusty Rocket". The Grand Mother insisted that we get her washed before we could have supper!